Car Detailing|What Is Car Detailing?

Car Detailing is a word that has now been confused over the years and has now lost its true meaning... Plenty of garages offer a wash and wax these days but they class it as a detail. It is nothing of the sort, its just a wash and a wax. Allow me to explain what a car detail actually is and the benefits of having one carried out on your car.

Car detailing is an incredibly time consuming and fussy process to carry out. Car detailing involves an incredibly thorough cleaning, polishing, and waxing of your car. Not just to the car exterior either, it includes the car interior aswell. Exterior detailing consists of several stages and these include washing, claying, polishing, paint sealing with a paint sealant and waxing to protect the new finish to your cars paint.

You may ask yourself why should I have my car detailed? Well there are a few different reasons as to why you should. Having your vehicle professionally detailed not only keeps your car looking in pristine condition. Any car paint that is left unprotected will begin to fade, it will also start to oxidize, and if you dont care for it in the way it should be it will ultimately lose its original shine and lustre. Even the exterior plastics and your car trim will begin to fade and crack if you dont protect them with a high quality product. Top class Interior detailing will ensure that you preserve your plastics, protect your cars leather, and any vinyl surfaces that may be in your car. On the plus side again, an interior detail will also result in the removal of allergens from your car. Good news for Hayfever sufferers.

If you are actually thinking of selling a car at the moment then take this on board: You should seriously consider having your car detailed before you sell it. It is a proven fact that you will be able to sell your car for much more than you originally planned. Car detailing will significantly boost your sale price to the highest point for what your car could achieve.

If you are in the process of buying a car then you should also consider having a new car detail carried out on your new investment. New cars cost serious money so you would be a fool not to protect it. Car detailing companies offer what is called New Car Detailing. New car detailing involves fully protecting interior carpets and seats with a Scotchguard treatment. This will ensure no spillages will cause you problems as they will simply slide/wipe off. On the exterior you can get the new beautiful looking paint on your new car sealed with a high grade paint sealant. This puts a protective layer over the paint protecting your car from the elements and sealing in the beautiful lustrous colour that your new car will now be able to keep for a considerable amount of time. Dealerships charge around £300 just to have your paint sealed but a car detailer will do it for much less than this. The added benefit of this is that a car detailer will also protect your car trim and protect your alloy wheels too in the price you are quoted. I would personally use a detailer every time, they just have more time, more patience, more skill and a meticulous eye for achieving perfection!

Car Detailing Clay Bar

What is a "Clay Bar" and what is the clay bar process for? A Clay bar is used to remove any visible and invisible paint contaminants embedded into your cars paint. These include things such as tar, squished bugs, road dirt and tree sap.The Clay bar will actually clean underneath your paints surface. These are invisible contaminants that bind to your cars paintwork and need removing. Using a clay bar is essential before tcontemplating detailing your car. Infact it is safe to say that claying is of the most important steps you can carry out when it comes to getting your paint work clean. However, not to panic. Most car detailers include using the clay bar into the process of what they do, so just leave it to the experts.

Now i can hear you asking what's the difference between a wax and a sealant is? To put it bluntly there is a massive difference between paint sealants and waxes. We shall begin with wax. Wax is arguably the most popular answer when the choice is given to the masses for full added protection to a car. Not only does it seal the spectacular finish that lies beneath it but it will also improve the depth and shine of your paint giving it that lovely warm "glow" that enthusiasts all over the world seek. There are good and bad points though. The good point is that the looks of your car are fantastic when wax is applied. Though on the negative side, it isnt very durable and should be applied every couple of months. Car detailers tend to use expensive waxes and these will last much longer than the typical over the counter stuff. They are expensive for a reason and the results breathtaking. The climate will also affect how long your wax will last. In hotter climates it will last less than say in colder climates.

A Paint Sealant is totally opposite to car wax. Though both of them do ultimately achieve what is required...Full Protection. Paint Sealant will last longer than wax. This is because the paint sealant is filled with polymers. Polymers are synthetic particles. There are thousands of them and when applied to paintwork they all bond together and form what is termed as a "protective shield" over it. This shield will typically last approximately 5-6 months and the results will give it a hard, glass type reflection. Car Detailers again use very expensive paint sealants designed specifically for the aerospace industry and these just likje waxes will last much longer than the sealants you get from the local car care store. Therefore, if you are going to get your car detailed, it will come down to personal preference. You must decide which protective treatment you require. There is an easy way of telling what each detailed car has been treated with so long as it's raining. The water droplets on a waxed car will be large beads that seem to float ontop of your cars paint surface. This is because it is impossible for water to bond to a waxed surface. It merely slides off or just floats there. With a car that has received a paint sealant treatment, the water beads or droplets will be much smaller, instantly noticable to the trained eye.

If you have scratches in your paintwork, then car detailing is definitely the route you want to go down. Car detailers will use a series of cutting, polishing and finishing discs combined with cutting, polishing and finishing compounds for use with their specialist rotary/random orbital dual action machine polishers. Mopping or buffing a car is an incredibly similar process to bringing out the shine in a raw diamond. You can't just go straight for the ultimate polish. The process has to be carried out in multiple stages. This is the only way to bring out the perfect shine. Decreasing the amount of cut each time and leading up to a cut free pad your cars paint will be exposed to your eyes in a way you will probably have never seen it before. This multiple stage machine polishing is the only way to achieve the results that are usually only seen at major car shows, where these immaculate cars sit on their plinths glinting away to an awe inspired general public. If this is the finish you desire for your car then a visit to a car detailers is a must.